Why bedtime moves when you travel
Your child’s body clock stays on home time while the clock on the wall changes. Fly five hours east and a 7:00 p.m. bedtime at home falls at midnight local time. Fly five hours west and the same child is ready for bed at 2:00 p.m.
The planner checks both cities’ clocks on your travel date, because countries change their clocks on different days, and tells you if a clock changes during your trip. Days before your first full day there use home time; from that day on they use local time.
Light is your strongest tool
After flying east, get outside in the morning and around midday, and keep evenings dim. After flying west, get outside in the afternoon and early evening, and keep early wake-ups dark and quiet. Meals are a time cue too, so move them to local times. For a trip of only a few days, many families stay on home time: open the options in the planner and choose “Stay on home time”.
Example: New York to London, 5 hours east
A toddler wakes at 7:00 a.m., naps at 12:30 for two hours and goes to bed at 7:00 p.m. The family lands in London on Thursday, July 1, and starts 3 days before with 30-minute steps. At home, wake-up moves to 6:30, 6:00, then 5:30 a.m. In London the steps grow to an hour a day, in local time: wake-up at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 8:30 on Friday, 7:30 on Saturday, then 7:00 a.m. and a 7:00 p.m. bedtime on Sunday, July 4.
With 1-hour steps at home too, it is done by Friday, July 2. Open this example in the planner.
Sources
- Waterhouse J, Reilly T, Atkinson G, Edwards B. Jet lag: trends and coping strategies. Lancet. 2007;369(9567):1117–1129.
- CDC Yellow Book (Health Information for International Travel), chapter on jet lag: cdc.gov/yellow-book.
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Health advisory: melatonin use in children and adolescents (2022). aasm.org.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Sleep and safe sleep guidance.
- Hartstein LE, et al. High sensitivity of melatonin suppression response to evening light in preschool-aged children. J Pineal Res. 2022;72(2):e12780.
Questions parents ask
How long does jet lag last in babies and toddlers?
There is little research on babies. For adults, a common rule of thumb is about one day per time zone, and flying east usually takes longer. Many parents find young children adjust in a similar time or faster, especially with plenty of daylight and a steady routine.
Should I keep my baby on home time?
For trips of two or three days, or a difference of one or two hours, staying on home time is often easiest because your child doesn’t have to adjust twice. For longer stays, moving to local time sooner means fewer days of mismatched sleep.
Why is my baby waking every hour or crying at night after travel?
At night on the new clock, your child’s body may think it is daytime, so they wake up alert or hungry. Keep night wake-ups dark, quiet and brief, feed if your baby needs it, and get daylight at the right time of day. This usually eases over several days.
Is flying east or west worse for a baby?
Flying east is usually harder, because the body clock has to move earlier, and it drifts later more easily than earlier. After flying west, children tend to wake early for a few days. After flying east, they struggle to fall asleep and are hard to wake.
Should I shift my baby’s schedule before the trip?
Shifting 30 to 60 minutes a day for a few days before you leave can soften a big time difference, but it is optional and only practical if it fits around daycare and work. Choose “Start before you travel” in the planner and pick how many days ahead to begin.
Can I give my child melatonin for jet lag?
Don’t give melatonin or any sleep aid to a baby or young child without talking to your pediatrician first. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises parents to check with a health professional before using melatonin in children.
Why is the time difference different from what I expected?
Countries change their clocks on different dates, and some never do. New York is usually 5 hours behind London, but only 4 hours behind for about a week in late October and a few weeks in March. The planner checks both cities’ clocks on your travel date.
How should I handle naps on arrival day?
Let your child nap, because an overtired child sleeps worse at night, but avoid long naps late in the local afternoon. Waking your child gently after a normal-length nap helps them sleep at local bedtime.
This planner works out times and shares common travel sleep tips. It isn’t medical advice. Follow safe-sleep guidance wherever you stay, feed young babies on demand, and ask your pediatrician if you’re worried.